Fefta Sionæo bacchantur et Orgia thyrfo*. • Doctor Johnfon obferves, that this poem is "written with the common but childish imitation of pastoral life." Yet there are some new and natural country images, and the common topicks are often recommended by a novelty of elegant expreffion. The pastoral form is a fault of the poet's times. It contains alfo fome paffages which wander far beyond the bounds of bucolick fong, and are in his own original style of the more fublime poetry. Milton cannot be a fhepherd long. His own native powers often break forth, and cannot bear the affamed disguise. T. WARTON, Jan. 23, 1646. Ad JOANNEM ROUSIUM Oxonienfis Academiæ Bibliothecarium*, De libro Poematum amiffo, quem ille fibi denuò mitti poftulabat, ut cum aliis noftris in Bibliothecâ publicá reponet, Ode. Ode tribus conftat Strophis, totidémque Antistrophis, und demum Epodo claufis; quas, tametfi omnes nec verfuum numero, nec certis ubique colis exactè refpondeant, ità tamen fecuimus, commodè legendi potius, quàm ad antiquos concinendi modos rationem Spectantes. Alioquin hoc genus rectiùs fortafsè dici monoftrophicum debuerat. Metra partim funt καλὰ σχέσιν, partim ἀπολελυμένα. Phaleucia quæ funt, Spondæum tertio loco bis admittunt, quod idem in fecundo loco Catullus ad libitum fecit. Strophe 1. GEMELLE cultu fimplici gaudens liber, * John Roufe, or Ruffe, Mafter of Arts, fellow of Oriel college Oxford, was elected chief librarian of the Bodleian, May 9, 1620. He died in April, 1652, and was buried in the chapel of his college. He fucceeded to Thomas James, the first that held this office from the foundation. In painted glass, in a window of the Provoft's Lodgings at Oriel college, are the heads of fir Thomas Bodley, James, and Rouse, by Van Ling. Herne fays, they were put up by Roufe: they were probably brought from Munditiéque nitens non operosâ ; Roufe's apartment to the Provoft's Lodgings, when the College was rebuilt about 1640." Hearne, MSS. Coll. xii. p. 13. Roufe's portrait, large as life, a three quarters length, and coeval, is in the Bodleian library. He published an Appendix to James's Bodleian Catalogue, Oxon. 1636. 4to. In 1631, the University printed, "Epiftola ad Johannem Cirenbergium, ob acceptum Synodalium Epiftolarum Concilii Bafileenfis Auróyfapov, præfixa variorum carminibus honorariis in eundem Cirenbergium. Oxon. 1631." In quarto. Where among the names of the writers in Latin, are Richard Busby of Christ Church, afterwards the celebrated Master of Westminster: Jafper Maine, and Thomas Cartwright, both well known as English poets, and of the fame college and Thomas Mafters of New-college, author of the famous Greek Ode on the Crucifixion. The Dedication, to Cirenberg, is written by our librarian Roufe, who seems to have conducted the publication. In it he speaks of his Travels, and particularly of his return from Italy through Bafil. He has a copy of not inelegant Latin Elegiacks, in the Oxford verfes, called Britannia Natalis, Oxon. 1630. 4to. p. 62. Hearne fays, that Roufe was intimate with Burton, author of the celebrated book on Melancholie; and that he furnished Burton with choice books for that work. MSS. Coll. cxli. p. 114. He lived on terms of the most intimate friendship with G. J. Voffius; by whom he was highly valued and respected for his learning, and activity in promoting literary undertakings. This appears from Voffius's Epiftles to Roufe, viz. Epp. 73, 130, 144, 256, 409, 427. See Colomefius's Vofii Epiftolæ, Lond. 1690. fol. There is alfo a long and well-written Epiftle from Roufe to Voffius, Ep. 352. ibid. ad calc. p. 241. Degory Wheare, the firft Camden Profeffor, fends his Book De Ratione et Methodo legendi Hiftorias, in 1625, to Rouse, with a Letter infcribed, "Joanni Roufo literatiffimo Academico "See Wheare Epiftolarum Eucharifticarum Fufciculus, Oxon. 1628. 12mo. p. 113. Not only on account of his friendship with Milton, which appears to have fubfifted in 1637, but because he retained his librarianship and fellowship through Cromwell's Ufurpation, we may fuppofe Roufe to have been puritanically in Juvenilis olim, Sedula tåmèn haud nimii poetæ ; 5 clined. See Notes on Sir Henry Wotton's Letter prefixed to Comus. However, in 1627, he was expelled from his fellowship; but, foon afterwards, making his peace with the Presbyterian Visitors, was restored, Walker's Suff. Cler. P. ii. p. 132. We are told alfo by Walker, that, when the presbyterian officers proceeded to fearch and pillage fir Thomas Bodley's chest in the library, they quitted their defign, on being told that there was to be found there," by Roufe the librarian, a confiding brother." Ibid. P. i. p. 143. Wood fays, that when Lord Pembroke, Cromwell's Chancellour of the University of Oxford, took his chair in the Convocation-houfe, in 1648, fcarcely any of the loyal members attended, but that Roufe was prefent, Hift. Ant. Univ. Oxon. i. 401. col. 2. Probably Milton might become acquainted with Roufe, when he was incorporated a Mafter of Arts at Oxford in 1635. Neale fays, the Affembly of Divines, in 1645, recommended the new verfion of the Pfalms by Mr. Rouse, to be used instead of Sternhold's, which was grown obfolete, Hift. Pur. vol. iii. 315. edit. 1736. But this was Francis Roufe originally of Broadgate-Hall Oxford, one of the affembly of Divines, the prefbyterian provost of Eton college, and an active inftrument in the Calviniftick vifitation of Oxford: whofe works were collected and published together at London, in 1657, under the title "Treatifes and meditations dedicated to the Saints, and to the Excellent throughout the three kingdoms.” His Pfalms appeared in 1641. Butler fays of these Psalms, "When Rouse stood forth for his trial, Robin Wisdom [in Sternhold and Hopkins] was found the better poet," Remains, edit. 1754. p. 230. I know not if he was related to the librarian. But Wood mentions our librarian Roufe, as conveying, in 1626, an old hoftel to Pembroke college Oxford, which was converted into Lodgings for the Master of that college, then recently founded in Broadgate Hall; and which Roufe had just purchased of Dr. Clayton, preferred from the Principality of that Hall to the Mastership of the new college, Hift. Univ. Oxon, ii. 336. col. 2. I recite this anecdote, as it feems to fuggeft a conjecture, corroborated by other circumstances, that the librarian was re Dum vagus Aufonias nunc per umbras, Nunc Britannica per vireta lufit, lated to Francis Roufe abovementioned, the prefbyterian provoft of Eton, who was bred in Broadgate Hall, and at his death in 1657, became a liberal benefactor to Pembroke college. Milton, at Roufe's requeft, had given his little volume of poems, printed in 1645, to the Bodleian library. But the book being loft, Roufe requefted his friend Milton to fend another copy. In 1646, another was fent by the author, neatly but plainly bound, munditie nitens non operofâ, in which this ode to Rouse, in Milton's own hand-writing, on one sheet of paper, is inferted between the Latin and English Poems. It is the fame now marked M. 168. Art. 8vo. In the fame library, is another small volume, uniformly bound with that last mentioned, of a few of Milton's profe tracts, the firft of which is of Reformation touching Church Difcipline, printed for T. Underhill, 1641. 4to. Marked F. 56. Th. In the firft blank leaf, in Milton's own hand-writing is this infcription, never before printed. "Doctiffimo viro proboque librorum æftimatori Johanni Roufio, Oxonienfis Academiæ Bibliothecario, gratum hoc fibi fore testanti, Joannes Miltonus opufcula hæc fua, in Bibliothecam antiquiffimam atque celeberrimam adfcifcenda, libens tradit: tanquam in memoriæ perpetuæ fanum, emeritamque, uti fperat, invidiæ calumniæque vacationem, fi veritati bonoque fimul eventui fatis fit litatum. Sunt autem De Reformatione Angliæ, Lib. 2.-De Epifcopatu Prælatico, Lib. 1. -De ratione Politiæ Ecclefiafticæ, Lib. 1.-Animadverfiones in Remonftrantis Defenfionem, Lib. 1.-Apologia, Lib. 1.-Doctrina et difciplina Divortii, Lib. 2.-Judicium Buceri de Divortio, Lib. 1.-Colafterion, Lib. 1.-Tetrachordon in aliquot præcipua Scripturæ loca de Divortio, inftar Lib. 4.-Areopagitica, five de libertate Typographiæ oratio.-De Educatione Ingenuorum epif tola*.-Poemata Latina, et Anglicana feorfim." About the year 1720, thefe two volumes, with other fmall books, were haftily, perhaps contemptuoufly, thrown afide as duplicates, either real or pretended and Mr. Nathaniel Crynes, an efquire beadle, and a diligent collector of fcarce English books, was permitted, on the Tractate of Education to Hartlib. |